Never use autofocaus mode when shooting images for a spherical panorama (virtual reality - VR). Everything in the field of view of each shot should be rendered sharp, and the focus setting should not be moved between shots. If the focus setting is changed, or a subject is not sharp, it may be impossible to stitch the shots together in a satisfactory manner. Focus should therefore be set manually, using a small aperture so that the depth of field envelope extends from infinity to within about 1.5 metres of the camera. This lower limit is implied by the need to take a nadir image looking straight down at the ground. Use the hyperfocal setting where necessary. This can be determined using the on-line depth of field calculator.